McWane, Inc., a manufacturer of cast iron water pipe, was fined $8 million for dozens of environmental and workplace safety crimes at its New Jersey plant, ending a multistate series of federal prosecutions against the company that began in 2003, Greenwire reported.
The cases revealed that the corporation lied to regulators, altered accident scenes, fabricated documents and bullied employees into giving false information.
A jury convicted McWane and four of its managers of repeatedly conspiring to deceive regulators and the company's foundry in Phillipsburg, sentencing the managers to prison for terms ranging from 6 months to 70 months. The company faces a maximum fine of $15 million for its conviction on 30 counts.
McWane President G. Ruffner Page expressed regret for the employees who had been injured or killed and for the communities whose air and water quality suffered as a result of the company's actions. He said the company stepped up its efforts to improve its record in the wake of the publicity and prosecutions, hiring dozens of new safety and environmental managers and replacing more than 90% of the company's top management.
Source: Greenwire
